The NFL was founded in 1920 as the first professional football league to successfully establish a nationwide showing, after various decades of failed attempts. At the time, it was founded as the APFA, or the American Professional Football Association, with 14 teams- two of which still exist today, the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals.
So why is it the “original 8″ who started the NFL and not the original 14? Let’s take a look.
The “Original 8″ NFL Teams
Over the first decade of the NFL’s existence, the number of teams fluctuated regularly; the 14 teams became 22 teams in 1926, and a year later they dropped to 12 teams.
In 1943, the NFL also had eight existing teams again: the Dodgers, the Redskins, the Bears, the Cardinals, the Giants, Packers, the Detroit Lions, and the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Steagles (the wartime player shortage resulted in the merging of the Eagles and Steelers in one season).
From 1944 to 1969, the Rams, Browns, 49ers, Vikings, Saints, Falcons, Cowboys, and Colts were added to the league. Then the NFL merged with the AFL in 1969/1970, which added ten new teams.
The AFL-NFL merger: the Super Bowl Creator
The AFL, or American Football League was founded in 1960, as the rival. Because of the NFL’s dominance at the time, the birth of the AFL only created the merger that the old NFL needed to become the real NFL we know today. That merger was the reason the league expanded greatly, and created the Super Bowl, which became the dominant sporting event in the United States.
There have been three 90+ yard punts since the AFL-NFL merger. Here’s all three of them. You’re welcome. pic.twitter.com/RJtdL2qbS7
The modern NFL is the outcome of decades of expansions and contractions, with 32 teams currently. The latest team addition was in 2002 when the Houston Texans were added to the league.
The league began play in 1920 and comprised five teams from Ohio (Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, Columbus Panhandlers, and Dayton Triangles), four teams from Illinois (Chicago Tigers, Decatur Staleys, Racine Cardinals [the Cardinals were based in Chicago but took the name of a local street], and Rock ...
The league began play in 1920 and comprised five teams from Ohio (Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, Columbus Panhandlers, and Dayton Triangles), four teams from Illinois (Chicago Tigers, Decatur Staleys, Racine Cardinals [the Cardinals were based in Chicago but took the name of a local street], and Rock ...
The AFL began regular-season play (a night game on Friday, September 9, 1960) with eight teams in the league – the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, and Oakland Raiders.
The teams were from four states-Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and Dayton from Ohio; the Hammond Pros and Muncie Flyers from Indiana; the Rochester Jeffersons from New York; and the Rock Island Independents, Decatur Staleys, and Racine Cardinals from Illinois.
The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States, and, along with the Chicago Bears, are the only NFL charter member franchises still in operation. In 1960, the team moved to St.
The Arizona Cardinals, founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago in 1898, are the oldest team in the National Football League. One of the first teams to have played football under the association rules in the US was Fall River Rovers, founded in 1884. The club existed intermittently until 1921.
In October, Congress passed the new law to permit the merger to proceed. As 1970 approached, three NFL teams (the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers), agreed to join the ten AFL teams to form the American Football Conference (AFC).
Having been in existence since 1920, the Cardinals are the oldest franchise without a Super Bowl victory, though they did win two league championships (1925, 1947) prior to the Super Bowl era when they were based in Chicago.
Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Download the NFL OnePass app to stay up to date on all official Super Bowl events.
In 1920, Dayton Triangles team manager Carl Storck attended the first-ever organizational meeting and a few weeks later, on October 3, 1920, the Triangles hosted the first-ever NFL game against the Columbus Panhandles at Triangle Park, winning 14-0.
1888 – The 12 founder members of the Football League are Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke (as they were known at the time), West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865.
The Bears started out in Decatur, Illinois as the Staleys and were moved to Chicago the following year. The team changed its name to the Chicago Bears in 1922 and has never moved cities or changed its name since then.
Here are the current NFL teams that are still in their original city: Green Bay Packers - The Packers were founded in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1919 and have played all of their home games at Lambeau Field since 1957. Chicago Bears - The Bears were founded in Decatur, Illinois in 1919 before moving to Chicago in 1921.
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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